Concerns like a stroke, auto accidents, dog bites, and sudden illness are obvious emergencies that prompt many to visit the ER. An allergic attack may not seem like an emergency, especially if you already know the reaction. Nonetheless, a Houston Medical ER visit for urgent allergy treatment is crucial even when you give yourself an epinephrine shot and experience mild symptoms. A severe reaction known as anaphylaxis is an apparent emergency since it is life-threatening. But you should not discount moderate and mild symptoms since untreated allergies can lead to concerns such as:
Lung damage
Untreated allergies can lead to severe lung damage. Prolonged exposure or heavy allergy reactions cause more than sneezing, wheezing, scratchy throat, nasal congestion, difficulty, and shortness of breath that impact your respiratory system. The reaction can cause chronic inflammation, significantly affecting lung health and function. This can lead to permanent damage to your lung capacity, which can result in respiratory failure, a fatal complication. Urgent care helps you minimize the symptoms’ heaviness and period. Moreover, you will learn more about the allergen, making avoiding exposure easier and keeping the reactions away.
Aggravated asthma
If you have asthma, an allergic reaction can aggravate the condition. If you don’t, you can develop allergy-induced asthma/allergic asthma. An example is hay fever, also referred to as allergic rhinitis. When untreated, the allergic reaction can escalate, leading to severe symptoms that fail to respond to the inhaler and other home remedies. Severe asthma symptoms can be fatal, emphasizing the need for urgent medical attention to manage allergy reactions and avoid worsening or increasing asthma risks.
Symptoms return
After you use the epinephrine shot, the allergy symptoms subside. However, you should not stop there since the effects of the shot will wear off. Once it is out of your system, the symptoms can return and be overwhelming. Visiting the ER for observation and further treatment helps minimize the chances of the symptoms returning and causing worrisome troubles.
More Allergies
At first, you are only allergic to pet dander. Over time, the situation can change if the reaction is not adequately treated. You will experience frequent attacks which weaken your immune system. The longer it goes unattended, the higher the risk of experiencing more attacks triggered by different substances besides the initial allergen. The symptoms also become more severe with each attack. Even worse, you are at an increasingly high risk of serious complications, including fungal and bacterial infections in your lungs, sinuses, and ear. For individuals with asthma, it also means you will get more attacks characterized by overwhelming symptoms that could even result in hospitalizations.
Allergies can be just a nuisance, but they can cause serious health threats over time. You could develop allergies to multiple substances, and with the frequent attacks, significantly weaken the immune system. This makes you vulnerable to infections, which cause more serious symptoms when they occur. Your home remedies, over-the-counter and prescription medication can help control the symptoms, but you should also seek urgent care for thorough treatment. Contact Houston Medical ER for more on allergies or to access urgent care.
